The Pink Shoe
by AJ Maxima
Summary: Chihiro graduated college and moved into the apartments built over what used to be the Kohaku River. After unpacking, she noticed that her tattered pink shoes from her childhood have mysteriously been placed in one of her move-in boxes, except one shoe has gone missing. However, the water dripping from the bathtub faucet seemed to know exactly where it went.
1. Packaged Innocence

**The Pink Shoe**

 **Chapter 1: Packaged Innocence**

"I think I can manage," Chihiro assured softly into the receiver before hanging up the blue device.

Her slender frame was leaning against her new blue car—which had four wheel drive capability, as her father had so casually bragged about during the purchase. The entire area welcomed a green forest on either side of the dirt road that led to a four-story apartment complex, the same one in which her brown eyes were inspecting. It was quite massive; yet still a bucolic setting, which had only thirty apartments. The top of the facility was where management resided, and the bottom floor was the bathhouse area. Chihiro's apartment was on the third floor.

Flickering her gaze towards the boxes she'd stuffed in the backseat of her car, she pressed her lips tightly in a small line. It would be a difficult trip to endure with all those items alone, but she was prepared.

The wind that suddenly picked up blew her long brown hair in wild directions, and she was quick to pull the worn hair tie, which had been gifted to her by Zeniba, off her right wrist to bind her hair in a comforting ponytail. It had always been her signature style growing up, and she felt like her childhood self whenever she wore it as such.

After gathering a small cardboard box out of her car, Chihiro shut the door and locked her vehicle. There weren't many cars in the area, and there wasn't even proper parking. It resembled more of a dated version of what Japanese apartments looked like, and her father had given her an earful for picking such an awful first place to live, but she was set on living here, although she wasn't sure why…

Chihiro's small brown shoes were heard clicking over the dirty, rocky terrain as she walked towards the complex. She was thankful that she was wearing a simple, comfortable green shirt and some pink shorts with all the climbing she was about to do—not that she usually wore anything special to begin with. "Okay," she told herself, keeping her cellphone clutched tightly in her left hand while she balanced the small box under her right armpit. "Here we go…" Nothing like a pep talk to get some work done.

It took Chihiro less than a minute to climb the first set of brown stairs, where she noticed that the walls were white and the doors were red. It was after she had reached the top and gazed down that a sudden memory of her running down the stairs in a terrified panic while she screamed for her life invaded her thoughts.

She remembered bits and pieces—being forced to run the rest of the way after one of the treads had broken and she slammed into the wall… "The boiler room," she whispered absently. She recalled during that time, that someone told her to go there and meet someone named… "Kamaji…?"

"Yes?" an elderly man asked to her left.

Startled, she shrieked and turned, dropping her phone and box.

Quick hands caught each item and handed them to her. The incredibly skinny man was bald and he was wearing round dark glasses to cover his eyes. His mouth was hidden behind the large grey mustache he sported, and he was wearing a black shirt and green pants. Chihiro literally had to stretch her neck to get a good view of him and as she gawked, her eyes remained wide.

"T-thank you, sir!" she shouted quickly, feeling foolish as she took the items. She bowed her head. "I should've been more careful…"

Instead of replying, Kamaji scrutinized her.

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Chihiro pressed her lips together. "Um… excuse me," she said, sidestepping him.

"Forgive me," he said as she began to pace up the next flight of stairs. "But you remind me of my granddaughter."

This news caused Chihiro's worried steps to halt on the third step and she turned. "Your… granddaughter?" She never had the opportunity of meeting her grandparents since they'd died before she was born, but she had seen plenty of pictures. Even though the man in front of her didn't match their descriptions, he still felt so familiar to her. She could also picture him with a few extra limbs, and a brown mustache instead of the grey one he sported, but she shook the peculiar thoughts away.

"Yes," Kamaji replied absently. Although he had no eyebrows, the skin in which they should've resided furrowed, and creases formed on his aged, wrinkled skin. He had a woebegone expression lingering around his face. "She would've been about your age..."

Chihiro couldn't help the frown that formed on her lips, or the way her eyes shined with a bit more mindfulness. _He looks so sad…_ "I'm sorry to hear that." She truly was. The sympathies were heavily projecting in her voice. "I'm Chihiro."

The way he gasped and raised his shoulders—the surprising motion of his inclined head—it was almost if he recognized her… almost. But soon the familiarity escaped him and he simply smiled. "The name's Kamaji." He touched his chest before replying, "I work in the boiler room."

"Oh!" Chihiro said, smiling. "There's a bathhouse on the first floor. The granny who leased me said she owns it." She hadn't meant to call the old woman… _granny_ ; it had just slipped out, almost as if it were commonplace. "And she agreed that I could work here to pay my rent until I found myself another job." She'd been struggling to find a job in the major she chose since she graduated six months ago, and her search had been disheartening. Finding a summer job was out of the question now that most of the teenagers were on summer break and willing to do cheaper labor. It was fate when her mother suggested that she call the random advertisement sent to their home.

Kamaji chuckled, nodding. "Well, you're free to use the facilities any time you'd like, although I'm sure by the end of your first day working, you'd rather soak in your own bathtub in your apartment." Each apartment was equipped with its own bathing area, kitchen area, and lounge area for all of its occupants.

"I'll probably stick to my own bath," she replied with a brief nod. She started work in three days. "But thank you for the offer."

"You're very welcome." With that said, he paced off down the stairs. "Take care."

A pleasant smile appeared on Chihiro's lips. "You too, Kamaji!" As she turned to resume her climb up the next flight of stairs, she accidentally bumped into a woman with long, tied brown hair, who wore a pink cleaning outfit. Her lips were stained red, and her brown eyes were narrowed into peevish slits.

"Hey!" the woman replied. She used her index finger to poke Chihiro in the chest. "Watch where you're going!"

"S-sorry!" Chihiro said as the woman hurried by. _Have we met before…?_ Chihiro took a step down, lifting her left hand. "W-wait!" She fumbled her phone, but caught it quickly.

The woman paused, one hand on her right hip as she spared Chihiro a petulant glance. "What?" She was carrying what appeared to be a large red bento box in a white bag in her free hand.

"Do I… do I know you?" Chihiro asked hesitantly. She seemed to recognize the woman, but she wasn't quite sure from _where_ … "Lin?"

A sharp brow rose and the woman grunted. "…I don't think so, kid." Although she began pacing off, she was pretty sure she'd met the girl before, too. _How does she know my name…? Maybe this is the one Yubaba was talking about—the girl working to pay her way around here…_

Chihiro was no _kid_ , not anymore, but she felt as if she were certainly acting like one today. She just felt so… _young_ , like her ten-year-old self. Maybe it was due to her finally living alone—stripping away the last of her childhood innocence and doing everything by herself. This wasn't like college, where she relied on a roommate whenever she'd get lonely, and her parents to send her money if she ever ran out of funds to eat. No, she was in the real world all on her own, making ends meet all on her own without the help from _anyone_. At only twenty-one years old, she was certainly terrified of that aspect, but also proud of herself. Eleven years ago, she would've never thought she'd standing here with any courage to take the next step into adulthood at all. If she had the opportunity, Chihiro would tell her younger self that everything would be all right and try to stay a child for as long as she could. It seemed as if time had slipped away and every memory she had—particularly at age ten—was swarming her thoughts the more she metaphorically peeled off her innocence.

 _Mom and dad said I could always return home if I want_ , Chihiro reminded herself, but something about the advertisement in the mail prompted her to move out. It had been specifically addressed to her, as if the sender knew she'd say yes…

It took her another five minutes to reach the third floor and find her apartment number, but once she had, she stuffed her left hand in her pocket and fished for her set of keys. "I'm sure they were here," she told herself distractedly.

When a random hand poked her shoulder, she knew a bathroom break was needed. She turned to her right as she shrieked and saw a brown haired man wearing a white mask, who was dressed in black pants and a matching long sleeve shirt... in the middle of July. _I hope all the neighbors aren't like this_ , she thought. When she saw that he had extended his right hand, and lightly jiggled her set of silver keys in it, she smiled. "Oh," she said, taking them. "Thank you very much."

"Ah," the man said in a soft reply, and Chihiro waited for him to leave before daring to enter into her knew home. Once she realized he wasn't retreating from her door, she debated on whether or not she should call the police. However, Lin appearing at the end of the hall put her at ease.

"Hey, No-Face!" she said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "What have I told you about scaring the attendants?!" She shooed him away with a glare, watching as he shied away and took several steps back. "Go on," she encouraged. After turning away, the man paced down the walkway, but not before sparing Chihiro another glance.

Chihiro and Lin both sighed, relaxing as the woman approached her.

Lin crossed her arms. "Sorry about that. The man's not harmful anymore; just weird." She shrugged, hitching her thumb over her shoulder. "Yubaba hasn't kicked him out yet because he's never been late on rent and he even pays in advance."

 _Not harmful_ anymore _…?_ Chihiro asked. "I feel like I know him," she admitted. _Like we were friends…_ Images of a dark hand offering her fools gold caused her to close her eyes until the memory subsided.

Lin scoffed, too engrossed with inspecting Chihiro's box to notice her expression. "He was on the news a few years back for allegedly eating a live frog in public, and a few pigs." She ignored Chihiro's gasp in favor of gesturing towards the item she carried. "You moving in with only one box, Sen?"

Chihiro was quick to shake her head. "The rest is in my car…" She blinked. "Wait, who's Sen?"

Lin didn't know where the name came from, either, but she rolled her shoulders. "I think it suits you. Do you mind?" She didn't understand why the girl felt like a little sister to her, nor did she question it. She'd just go with it. Chihiro's company was better than most of the company kept around the complex.

Chihiro slowly found herself shaking her head. For some reason, she felt like eleven years ago, she would have shunned the name, but because it was Lin using it, and because Chihiro was older, she felt like _she_ could carry and control _it_ , instead of _it_ carrying and controlling _her_... Very peculiar.

After the air of awkwardness around them vanished, Lin offered to help Chihiro put her boxes into her apartment. She informed Chihiro that during the weekends, the place would be crawling with visitors who were going to use the bathhouse on the ground floor and the occupants living in the apartments sometimes used it during the weekdays.

"It's not as shabby looking as these apartments," Lin said, placing the last box down on the wooden floor of Chihiro's new home. "It's actually pretty elaborately decorated down there. Yubaba loves grand things." She dusted her hands off, eyeing the younger woman. "Do you need help unpacking…?" Lin left the sentence to trail, giving the younger a smile.

Chihiro was too busy gazing at the large, open paneled doors towards the back of the apartment to reply. Behind them led to beautiful scenery, the perfect cynosure for occupants to witness. To the right was an entryway that led to the kitchen, where a faucet was slowly dripping in the sink, and a small stove. There was a refrigerator on the opposite wall and the counters were white, matching them. To the left of the vicinity was an area used for hygiene, equipped with a sink, a bathtub, and a toilet. It was blocked with another sliding, paneled door. In the bathtub, water dripped from that faucet as well, unbeknownst to either female.

"Hey, Sen?" Lin called. When Chihiro turned to her, she asked, "Do you need help unpacking?"

"No, thank you," Chihiro said, shaking her head. She hadn't realized that her left hand was curled and touching her chest, almost as if she were afraid to be alone. It was a habit she used to do when she was younger, but stopped by the time she turned eleven… Or so she'd thought. "I think I can manage," she whispered. _Déjà vu…_ She wasn't sure why she kept making that phrase her 'go-to' response, but she welcomed it all the same.

* * *

Later that day, as the evening was preparing to retire to make way for the night, Chihiro was still sorting through her boxes, ripping the tape off each of them. Clothes were scattered across the floor, along with books and pictures. She'd have to go into town and purchase a shelf tomorrow, but now she was keen on at least unloading everything to make sure she had whatever she needed before she went out to purchase any more necessities.

 _I've got to buy some toothbrushes_ , she mused. _And toothpaste._ She rummaged through another box, peeling the gray tape off prior and leaving it to stick on the floor. _Soap's_ _all here… deodorant, too._ She made a mental note of everything in her head, yearning to take a bath as she grabbed the final box and opened it.

"Mom," she whined immediately at what she saw inside. All of her childhood items were carefully there and the label inside said _Chihiro's Keepsakes_. This was her _mother's_ box, and the woman had several of these. After a frustrated huff, Chihiro texted her mother about the incident. It read: _I think I grabbed one of your boxes from the garage and left mine._

She received a quick reply back from the woman that read: _Yes, I know. I was going through your old things today and noticed my favorite box is gone. Please bring it back tomorrow, honey! And don't remove those pink shoes!_

"Pink shoes?" Chihiro asked as she pocketed the device. She crossed her legs from where she sat, delving through her old toys until she dug further into the box. When her hands touched what felt like something tattered, she grabbed it and pulled it out. It was a little pink shoe, so tiny and adorable, although it was quite worn. "I remember this," she murmured. Her six-year-old self had loved this pair growing up, and she smiled at the memory of falling into a river when she was younger.

"Where's the other one?" she asked, reaching back into the box. She scoured for a good while, and she even decided to spill all of the contents out of the box when she couldn't feel the other one. "What?" Her brown eyes darted around in surprise. "It's not here…" Sighing, she held the only shoe in her hands, observing every rip and how faded the color was. "I remember…"

 _I_ remember _! a boy had told her._ _Your little pink shoe…!_

Her breath caught in her throat at the random memory and she stood, clutching the shoe in her hands. "And I remember you… I think." She felt a little scared living on her own once she noticed how quiet it was, but she knew that with the bathhouse being opened, there'd be an assemblage of people and it'd be a lively place.

"I should get some sleep," she said, pacing over to her where she'd made her bed. The sheets were white and purple, waiting for her to dive in. Her bath could wait until tomorrow; she was far too tired with the move…

Until something in the kitchen slammed to the floor—perhaps one of the dishes she'd stacked on the counter. "Wah!" She clutched the shoe out in front of her, as if that tiny little thing was the perfect defense weapon. "Wh-who's there?!" She shook her head. _If someone were there, they wouldn't really answer, would they?_ She felt juvenile for asking such a thing, like… a child.

With a bit of mustered courage, she paced into the kitchen—well, more like inched her way by carefully scooting her bare feet across the floor until she arrived at the wooden frame and peeked her head in—only to find one of her white dishes broken. No intruder could be found, thankfully. She'd scream bloody murder if No-Face suddenly showed up, though.

The faucet was dripping and she went over to it, placing her shoe on the wooden counter. After twisting both knobs tightly, she noticed that momentarily, the drips ceased. But once she knelt to retrieve the broken glass from the floor, she heard the familiar splash of water hit the bottom of the sink.

"Must be a leak," she told herself. She needed to unwind. "Maybe a bath _is_ a good idea…" She began to head out of the area, only to quickly turn around and reach for her shoe… "What?" It was soaking wet and the faded pink was darker in color because of it. Chihiro picked up the shoe, parting her lips as she examined the item. "Did I…?" She shook her head, hurrying to go fetch a towel from the middle area of the apartment. After searching the scattered items on the floor, she found one of her blue towels and placed the shoe on it. "I'll just leave it here so it won't stain the floor…"

Feeling spooked, she went over to the paneled door on her left, slid it open, and entered. The white bathtub was the first thing she had her eyes on, so as she walked over and twisted the silver knob, she seated herself on the edge, checking the temperature. The water gave her an uncanny sense of calm and she found herself frowning. All to quickly, she shut the water off and hurried out of the bathroom, shutting the door.

"I'll just go to bed," she whispered, too afraid of the sudden feeling she was experiencing. She hated that she was changing her mind, thinking of a time when her mother had said, "You're a woman now. You're allowed to change your mind." She groaned at the idea, still not understanding why this phrase was only directed at one gender. Her father changed his mind all the time, and she suspected that's how she received the annoying trait.

After hurrying over to the light, she flipped the switch off and scurried over to her bed, nearly tripping over all the items she'd left scattered on the floor. She had to will herself to go to sleep, and the entire night, the faucets around the house kept dripping. Unbeknownst to her, water was tranquilly roaming through every pipe connected to her apartment, while listening to her sleep—the same water that had mysteriously soaked her shoe and hidden its match.

...

 **A/N:** I absolutely love Miyazaki films, so I thought I'd write another fanfiction for one of my favs. I'm not sure why, but the line I remembered most was the pink shoe line, so I decided to write a story based on that. I'm not sure how this will play out myself, since I did write it on a whim, but I'd love to know your opinions—the good the bad and everything in-between!

Thanks to anyone who's read this!

Much appreciation,

-AJ


	2. Find Me Near The Fountain

**Chapter 2: Find Me Near the Fountain**

Chihiro's nightmares were always less than pleasant—embodying both extreme terror, the sensation of drowning, and never any type of resolution to the name in which she struggled to recall. She'd see images of a boy in a white robe, but his face was always a blur—masked behind what appeared to be a mist of grey fog. Within every dream, she and the unidentified boy were always falling from the sky, hands holding each other with an appreciative love that would _always_ be returned, and their faces would be so close as they spoke at muted volumes…

Tears of happiness were rising up from her eyes the further they descended below…

If only she were able to read his lips as he spoke—to see his face as he told her what she hoped would be his name… and just when she thought she'd remember, the scenery would begin to change and all she'd see was a large field with a tunnel over head, and that same boy telling her not to look back while her feet began to move farther away from him. Every fiber in her body was telling her to turn and face him—to disobey and stay with… with—

"A!" Chihiro shouted, effectively screaming herself awake. Her eyes shot open as she sat up in a cold sweat, and globules of it were dripping down her face. "A," she whispered frantically, as her brown irises flickered around and she mopped the perspiration from her face. "I know your name has an 'A' in it…"

That narrowed it down by zero.

Feeling how dry her throat felt, she gulped, although it did little to relieve her of the usual morning symptoms. She needed to brush her teeth, but she knew she had to go purchase toothbrushes. "Your name," she whispered again as her breathing evened out. Thinking fleetingly, Chihiro gazed around at her pile of unpacked items until her dark eyes fixated on a yellow notepad across the room, near the bathroom. She threw her blankets off, hurrying over, only to slip over a towel and fall forward in her rush. As she landed on her hands and knees with a cruel thud, she made a bit of an 'Umph!' sound, and she felt a throbbing sensation on her right knee.

 _I should've at least cleaned up a little last night_ , Chihiro thought as she positioned herself on her bottom to inspect her newly scraped knee. It had been scratched against her set of keys and the blood was already trickling down her skin profusely, spilling onto the floor in little splashes. She knew the exact moment that the air hit the wound, because she sucked in her bottom lip and flinched. "I haven't had a knee scrape in years," she said to herself, wincing as she stood up and limped towards the bathroom. It stung worse than she remembered.

The notepad was left to be forgotten as she maneuvered past it and entered the hygienic area.

Turning the faucet on above the tub, she stuck her knee directly under it until the bleeding stopped its urgency, and just as it had seemed to cease, a quick knock was heard on the front door. "Hey, Sen!" Lin called as Chihiro paced slowly towards the door. "It's me, Lin!

"I'm coming!" Chihiro called, although she was hobbling to get there. It took her a good minute to arrive at the front door, and once she had, she unlocked the latch and pulled back the knob to see Lin holding a few green cloth bags filled with groceries.

"I figured I'd bring you some housewarming food since I know you haven't gone shopping yet," the woman said as she stepped inside. "And Kamaji threw in some pretty good herbal packs for you to use in your bathroom." She whistled as she took in the sight of Chihiro's apartment, giving the younger a sharp glance. "You _sure_ you don't need help unpacking? This place is a mess."

Blushing, Chihiro shook her head. "I was just seeing what I needed to go out and buy today before I head to my mother's house."

Lin's eyes flickered towards Chihiro's knees, and she cautiously placed the groceries down. As she crossed her arms, she asked, "Do you have a first aid kit?"

"Um—" Chihiro glanced around the room momentarily, her ponytail swinging with the action. During her inspection, her right hand unknowingly curled as she brought it up to her chest. "I don't think so."

"Band aids?" Lin pressed. " _Something_?"

Chihiro shook her head again. "I have to go shopping today, Lin. I haven't gotten a lot of necessities yet."

The look in Lin's eyes speckled with disapproval, but Chihiro also detected a hint of overprotectiveness glimmering in the woman's face as she scrutinized the contents on the floor. After finding a yellow notepad, and eventually a pen, she gathered each item and arched her brow. "What do you need, kid?"

Chihiro waved her hands in rapid movements. "Ah, that's okay, Lin! _Really_ …" She had bowed her head as she'd spoken that last word, feeling as if she were burdening the woman. "You don't have to—"

Lin's expression softened. "Consider it another house warming gift." When she saw the hesitancy in Chihiro's eyes, she added, "And you can pay me back when I give you the receipt, if it'll make you feel better."

A minor smile appeared on Chihiro's lips as she clasped her hands together. "Okay. Thank you very much!"

Lin waved the appreciation off with two slow flicks of her left wrist. "Just tell me what you need, Sen… _after_ we get you something to put on that knee." Once Lin had wetted a cloth in hot water, and placed it on Chihiro's scrape as a temporary form of relief, they spent fifteen minutes going through her things, with Chihiro explaining what she'd need, and Lin jotting them down on the notepad. The elder of the duo also took the time to write down her own items of what Chihiro might've needed and overlooked, opting to not charge her for those extra items she was set on purchasing just in case.

Truthfully, she wasn't going to charge Chihiro at all when she returned, but she hadn't planned on telling the girl that.

The nearest store was a few miles down the road, and it resided in a bustling town with plenty of shops to choose from. After telling Chihiro she'd return within a few hours, Chihiro walked her to the front door.

"Um, Lin?" she called as she glanced towards the back of the apartment. "About my work shifts—"

"Oh that?" The woman snapped her fingers, looking peeved with herself. "Shoot. I forgot to ask Kamaji to give me your work schedule, but I'll bother him about it tomorrow." She propped her hand on her hip. "In the meantime, why not go rest out back? Yubaba has a grand fountain back there in honor of the river this place was built over."

"What was the name of the river?" Chihiro asked.

Lin's lips parted, but she promptly shut her mouth and touched her chin. "That's strange."

"What?"

"I remembered the name before," the woman mused. "Must've slipped my tongue." She shrugged the situation off and opened the door herself. "Doesn't really matter, but it's a nice fountain." Her light steps were heard as she exited the apartment, and Chihiro followed after her. "Most of the guests who use the bathhouse like to take pictures with it because it's so snazzy—and the garden is amazing."

"I guess I should give it a visit," Chihiro said. Her mother would _love_ the pictures.

Lin nodded briefly, waving over her shoulder as she casually paced towards the steps. "See you in a few hours."

"See you!" Chihiro called.

After Lin was out of view, Chihiro turned to head back into her apartment, but a flash of black caught her eye at the end of the open corridor. "What…?" It was No-Face, her neighbor, and he was standing perfectly still next to the red railing. He was still wearing his white mask—the epitome of a serial killer in the making—and his hand was lifted out towards her, as if asking her over.

Perfect time to call the police, but he hadn't actually approached her, or _touched_ her for that matter, so she had no evidence of him being a threat—aside from standing. That wasn't technically a crime, considering the property wasn't hers.

Chihiro's eyes rounded at the first sight of him, but she timidly waved at him once her nerves subsided. Nevertheless, she wasn't ardent on spending another second outside, and she wasted no time in entering her home and slamming her front door behind her, locking the switch in a hasty movement.

It was after she'd twisted her body to turn without checking first that she once again tumbled over and landed on her knees, effectively causing the already damaged one to bleed for another round. She made a hissing sound when she felt the sting, and she flipped herself over to see that the pink shoe from last night was now there—and it was completely drenched.

"What…?" _Here we go again_ , she mused.

The phone ringing startled her, but as her eyes darted around in search of it, she scurried over through her mess and towards her bed. As she retrieved it, via snatching, she brought it to her ear and asked, "Mom?"

"Chihiro!" the woman greeted. "What time will you be stopping by today? You're welcome to spend the night, honey—oh! And I could make your favorite dinner! You could stay over for as long as you'd like and…" Chihiro tuned the woman out. This was the woman's way of asking her to move back in. _Real_ subtle…

 _And she used to tell_ me _not to cling so much_ , Chihiro thought as she staggered towards the bathroom—but not before grabbing a herbal pack to take with her. She couldn't find the cloth Lin had used on her wound before so she decided she'd just let it soak while she tried to relax in a nice bath.

"I think I'll need another day to bring you those shoes," Chihiro warned.

Disregarding her bleeding knee, she used her free hand to twist the tub's knob and turned the water on, waiting for the temperature to rise.

"What?! Chihiro, you didn't lose them, did you?!" She'd never hear the end of it if she had.

"Of course not, mom," she lied, instantly feeling guilty about it. "I just think I need to spend some time being on my own. It's my first _full_ day here, and I want to experience it." Hesitant hands lingered near the pouring water, fearful of how she felt when touching the fluid last night. It had been a strange sensation, but as her hand inched under the water, she found herself smiling.

She felt safe—a little too protected.

The sound of sniffling on the phone caused Chihiro to startle. "Mom!" she called frantically. "Please don't cry!"

"My baby's so grown up now!" the woman whined.

"Mom—"

"You don't need me and your father for everything anymore!" She was suffering from withdrawal symptoms—from Chihiro leaving her nest—although Chihiro thought it odd that her mother would pick _now_ of all times to cry about it. The woman was usually stronger than this; she _had_ to be in order to be the wife of her father—who was just as strong-minded.

"I can be over by the end of the week!" Chihiro tried to reassure her.

"You're _so_ far away, honey!" Chihiro was only two cities over, not a country.

"I'll be over tomorrow, mom!" Chihiro bargained in exasperation. She'd just survived her first, of many, guilt trips.

Almost as quickly as the tears had come, they soon diminished. "Oh, I'm so glad! Think you can manage until then?"

 _…Can_ you _?_ Chihiro thought, deadpanning. "Yes, mom," she whined out, huffing.

After hanging up, she opened the herbal pack and poured some of the contents inside of the tub, loving the smell of the chamomile and parsley. It wasn't long before she left to gather a towel, a plain white shirt, some blue shorts, and some undergarments. Once she returned, she closed the bathroom door behind her.

She placed her items beside the tub, and she noticed that by then, the water had risen to a fair level, so she turned the pump off.

Undressing took Chihiro little time, and when she noticed the heat rising from the water, her toe on her right foot dipped into it first to check the temperature against her skin. Seeming satisfied, she seated herself and brought her knees to her chest so that that water rose to her shoulders, and also so she could brace herself for the pain that would ensue once she lowered her knees.

Ironically, as she performed the action, it had the opposite effects. She felt at ease—peculiarly so—but the water didn't alarm her like it had last night.

Chihiro sighed in content, and she leaned back so that her head was resting on the tub's edge. All the while, her eyes slowly fluttered closed. Soon after, she drifted to sleep, dreaming only of white words in a watery, green abyss. They said: Please remember.

 _Remember what?_ Chihiro thought.

She wasn't sure how to answer to the soundless plea, since she was _seeing_ the dream rather than participating, but upon closer inspection, she noticed the letters were actually made of white _dragons_. Each had a trailing tuft of blue hair leading down the bridge of their heads and backs, and each looked so familiar…

' _A_ ,' Chihiro mused. _There's an 'A' in your name._

The words began to change, and even amidst the guarded expression the dragons were giving her, she could tell they were all sad… She knew that they missed her.

 _I miss you, too_ , she wanted to tell them.

This time, the message was: You have to try harder.

Chihiro wished that the dragons could see her huff. _I'm trying as hard as I can._

"Then what is my name?" asked a calming, cautious voice. She recognized that weighty, somehow neutral, tone. It meant the world to her.

Her head felt foggy as the water began to surge and the dragons began to swim away. She didn't have the time to give an answer that she was sure to be incorrect.

"I will ask you this again at a later date," he informed her. "When that times comes, you can only give me one answer, Chihiro— _only_ one. It's our last chance. Do you understand?" This situation felt familiar, and she hadn't missed the way he had said 'our' instead of 'your'.

Finally, she whispered, "I understand." _But only one…?_ "What happens if I answer incorrectly?"

"If that happens… we'll never be able to meet again." There was a barely there somberness in his tone—one that only she could detect.

Chihiro felt her lungs filling with water now. "Wait! That's not fair!"

"Find me near the fountain." The voice gave no further room for argument. It was precise and strict, poised to the point of never faltering—aware of the madness pertaining to the proposition he'd given her.

When Chihiro awoke, it was with the terrifying realization that she'd fallen asleep in the bathtub and she had managed to slowly start slipping under. Her mouth, nose, and ears were all submerged, and as she scooted herself up, she coughed up water in a violent manner.

What made matters worse was the little bump she felt against her exposed knees as she drew them to her torso. "T-the _shoe_!" It was the pink shoe, the right one—the same one she'd left to dry last night. She quickly grabbed her towel and covered herself, getting out of the tub as she watched the shoe floating in it.

"This… it's happened before…" She squinted, feeling confused as she thought of her dream. "But you _spoke_ …" Her eyes rounded in a sense of surprise. "It has an 'A' in it..." Her thoughts were all over the place as she dried off and dressed herself.

"Find me near the fountain," she recalled as she exited the bathroom. "You're outside?"

She paced over to the balcony, pushing the doors open to reveal the outside world. It was as beautiful as it had been yesterday, with a large garden that had lush, green grass and a grey fountain with a dragon's neck and head sitting idly in the center to spew out a stream of water at the base. Tiny, probably false, bath tokens could be seen at the bottom of the fountain and the circled rim of the entire structure was outlined by slabs of white marble in the shape of what most assumed to be dragon scales, giving it a more dazzling vibe. Fresh, lavender and pink wisteria flowers were dangling from every tree surrounding the garden—rivaling the ancient Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's hanging gardens he'd built for his wife—a story that Chihiro had once read about in her history books.

The sight was breathtaking, more glorious this early morning than it had been when she arrived yesterday afternoon. This particular scene wasn't in the brochures, either… She'd truly found herself a real gem.

All too quickly, she noticed that the boy from her dreams wasn't down by the fountain. "You said you'd be there…" Her head bowed as she turned away, heading back inside. When she'd found the pen and notepad Lin had placed back on the floor, she picked them up and scribbled down the letter 'A.'

"Don't worry," she whispered, placing the items back down. "I'll remember—oh no!" She'd forgotten about the shoe she left to float in the bathtub. Her feet scampered across the floor, and although she tripped, she hadn't actually fallen, and she ran the mishap off as she re-entered the bathroom.

"I don't understand…"

The water was drained, and the shoe was sitting at the bottom surrounded by a puddle that seemed resistant about slithering down towards the drainpipe. "I didn't…" Now that she'd thought about it, Chihiro hadn't even pushed the stopper down to make the tub fill in the first place.

"Maybe I _should_ go visit mom later," she mused, curling her right hand and bringing it up to her chest. She suspected a ghost in her new dwelling.

Almost as soon as she'd uttered this, the faucet to the bathtub sprung a harsh leak, and the handle flew off, making the water spray her in the face at an unforgiving speed.

"Gah!" She shrieked and toppled over in alarm, but when she gazed back the valve, it was perfectly intact. "Am I still dreaming?!" Chihiro asked, heaving in deep breaths as water dripped from her face. Her clothes were as soaked as her hair and she looked defeated by the way she momentarily froze. "This _has_ to be a dream." She patted both sides of her head, shutting her eyes. "Wake up," she whispered, tapping harsher the next time. "Wake up!"

The sound of the water dripping caused Chihiro's eyes to snap open, and she immaturely scooted closer to the tub with fright radiating from her brown eyes. Peering inside, she saw that her shoe was gone and there was no evidence that it had been sitting there to begin with.

"What?!"

A thump garnered her attention. There was a distinct _thump_ in her wall. Chihiro moved her head so fast to the left that it snapped, and her hand swooped towards the area as she winced. She narrowed her eyes at the wall opposite the tub—occasionally flickering them to the others—hearing for the sound once more.

Thump-thump… clink, clink… and then a slushing sound to echo it all.

Chihiro stood in a cautious movement, heading over to the wall and pressing her left ear to it. As she listened intently, she could hear something moving along through the pipes. For some reason, she suspected it to be her pink shoe.

"This isn't real," Chihiro decided with a shake of her head. "None of it is." Creases were forming on her forehead from her frustration, and on her way to retrieve her cell phone, she was sure that if she pinched herself, she'd wake up.

The maintenance number was saved in her phone, so she dialed and waited for the recipient to answer. Once the man had, he said, "Hello?"

"H-hi, sir," Chihiro said rather awkwardly, gulping. "Um, okay—well, this is going to sound weird—"

"Just tell your name, your apartment number, and your issue so that I can fix it, miss," he instructed, sounding gruff. His tone seemed none too pleased to speak with her—probably thinking she was challenged in the ways of changing a light bulb, or something sexist of that nature. She wasn't; she knew to turn the light off _before_ hand, and to have a sturdy stepladder handy, _and_ she knew to purchase an actual light bulb with the correct watts. If her father taught her anything, it was how to be independent… _mostly_.

"I'm Chihiro Ogino," she replied in a rushed voice. The free side of her face, the left side, had pressed against the wall once more, sliding it along the more she heard her shoe moving inside the pipes. "I live in apartment C12, and I was wondering if you could help me get my shoe out of the wall?"

"…What?"

"I said—"

The man sighed, knowing the situation had become risible. "I know what you said; I just can't believe it. Never had a call like this before. How do I know this isn't a prank?"

Chihiro's lips parted, and she felt a little insulted. "It's not, sir!"

"Did you break the wall with your shoe?"

"No, but—"

"Then how did it get in there?"

Taking a deep breath as she continued sliding her head along the wall—which she'd trailed all the way into her main room by this point—she nodded to herself. This was it; she had to tell the truth. "I think my bathtub stole it and sucked it down the drain…!"

For some reason, even though her story sounded ridiculous, Chihiro still hadn't expected to hear the dial tone.

"Ugh!" She stuffed her phone in her pocket in vexation. Pressing her palms against the wall, she did the same with her right ear and listened. "No! It's moving!" She slid with the movement of the water, bashing the area in a bid to get it to halt. "Stop moving!" Like it would listen.

A knock on the door had her groan and run to answer it, finding Lin with white bags of supplies. "Lin!" she shouted, pulling the woman inside.

"Sen, why are you all wet?"

Chihiro slammed the door shut, forgetting to lock it, and pointed. "You have to help me get my shoe out of the wall!" She was hyperventilating, and she recalled an incident similar to this, when she'd make her father check for monsters in her closet, and the boogeyman under her bed. She was eight then, a far cry from her adult age now.

It was silent, so hushed that Chihiro thought about picking up a pen and dropping it herself.

Lin blinked, followed the area in which Chihiro's trembling finger was aiming, and cautiously placed the bags down. After approaching her, she gently pressed the back of her hand against the younger girls forehead. "You okay, kid?" Her tone was a mixture of casual, and slightly caustic. Her hand moved to her cheeks and neck, feeling for any signs of a temperature. "You hit your head or something?"

"Wha—? No!" Chihiro's hands were curled into fists, and she practically bouncing on her tiptoes in a squatting position—overtly frantic. "The bathtub ate my shoe!"

"Real funny," the woman drawled. "You must've heard the rumors about this place."

Brushing her damp bangs off her forehead, Chihiro quirked a brow. "W-what rumors?" This news seemed to quiet her somehow.

"Never mind," the woman said as she ventured to the back of the apartment and stepped onto the balcony. "Did you visit the fountain? The view is even better when you're underneath all those flowers."

"Uh, not yet." Chihiro looked a bit anxious as she carefully paced over to the woman and her rumbling stomach alerted her that she'd skipped breakfast, even though Lin had taken the time to gather her some earlier.

Lin leaned over the railing, ignoring the sound of Chihiro's stomach in favor of seeing something spew out of the mouth of dragonhead on the fountain below. "Is that…?" She squinted and leaned further over the railing, inclining her head. "A pink shoe…?"

Before Lin had the opportunity to turn around, Chihiro was running out her front door. What she hadn't realized yet was that the wound on her knee had been fully healed the moment she entered the water earlier, and that once she arrived at the fountain, the shoe she'd find wasn't the same one the bathtub had… _eaten_. That shoe was still very much in the pipes within her walls, and the water holding it hostage seemed pleased with itself, if not somewhat saddened.

…

 **A/N:** Okay, so this update was slower than intended. Really sorry :[ BUT, I did actually take the time to plan out a suitable story board, and I think it does the source material justice. If it doesn't, I'm sure someone will let me know. I don't know how many chapters I want this to be yet, though; my storyboard doesn't go by chapters.

And thank you so much for all the favs, alerts, and reviews. I'm pretty new to this section so I wasn't sure about posting this story in favor of not screwing up these characters. You're welcome to leave me feedback; I'm open and accepting. :)

Thanks Again, and Hope Your Day is Going Well,

AJ


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